Rio de Janeiro Becomes 11th State in Brazil to Legalize Gay Marriage

A court in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil today ruled that gay and lesbian couples in official civil unions have the right to civil marriage as Brazilian law does not prohibit marriage between same-sex couples. Rio de Janeiro is now the 11th Brazilian state to allow gay couples to marry. Judge Luiz Felipe Francisco said in a statement: “As there is no explicit barrier to marriage between two people of the same sex, it would be contrary to principles enshrined in the Constitution, such as equality, human dignity and pluralism [to deny the request].” According to PinkNews: “Today’s decision means that 15 days after the publication of a union of a gay couple in Rio de Janeiro, they will be legally considered as married, without having to apply to a court.”